"What they truly want? Looks like the product pitch and story weren't convincing enough. The impatient client isn't quite buying it yet. But as long as they're willing to talk, there's still room for negotiation."
Ending his internal brainstorming, Doflamingo glanced at Enel, who stood beside him with a worried expression. Ignoring the hostile gazes around them, he stepped forward.
"Enel, let's go. Time to feast!"
"Young Master, are you sure about this?" Enel gestured toward Doflamingo's chest, which was in complete disarray.
"Tch—"
With a ripping sound, Doflamingo tore off the charred layer covering his torso, exposing fresh flesh and organs beneath. His lungs barely had time to take in a few breaths of outside air before bio-silk threads wove together, forming a membrane that sealed his injuries from the environment.
At the same time, his limbs visibly thinned, while his chest and arms swelled slightly, regaining some mass. This was the beauty of Seimei Kikan—one of its many applications: body regulation.
A moment later, his signature pink feathered coat, which had been reduced to cinders during the battle, and his burnt crimson suit were seamlessly rewoven, restoring his perfect image.
...
Casting a bright smile at Katakuri, who was still staring at him, Doflamingo strode toward the direction Big Mom had left, not bothering with further interaction. Though Katakuri was an exceptional talent and a master of Observation Haki, he only cared about his siblings. He had no interest in Doflamingo's grand design.
But now that Doflamingo had gotten into Big Mom's good graces, it was time to deepen that connection. Once he had her in the palm of his hand, everything else would fall into place.
...
Atop Cake Island's grand citadel, Charlotte Linlin sat on her enormous pink throne, happily indulging in one bite after another.
No wonder she'd become someone people wanted to punch on sight in the future. She had zero regard for the importance of appearance and self-discipline.
As Doflamingo approached, Linlin greeted him in her usual boisterous manner.
"Ma ma ma ma! Doflamingo, come! Enjoy the cake!"
"Hurry up! Eat us already!"
The desserts on the table chimed in like a singing chorus, animated as though they were living creatures.
"Come and enjoy a marvelous feast!"
...
"Of course."
Shaking off his intrusive thoughts, Doflamingo sat down and began eating. He had expended a great deal of energy and needed the sustenance.
"Young Master, are you sure it's safe to eat this?"
"Don't worry. They invited you, didn't they? It would be rude to refuse."
"Ahh~~ I can feel my life slipping away! This marvelous tea party is too much—I can't breathe~~"
Without a change in expression, Doflamingo picked up a piece of chocolate cake and shoved it into his mouth.
"Ahh~~ I've been eaten! I've been swallowed whole!!"
"I'm dying~~ Farewell, my friends~~"
Despite being mere confections, the cakes wailed as though experiencing their final moments. The rest of the food on the table even began crying in unison, making the entire scene feel absurdly theatrical.
"Fufufufufu! This is quite amusing!"
The constant screaming in his mouth gave Doflamingo the eerie sensation of devouring a living being. He couldn't help but smirk—this was what it felt like to hold another's life in the palm of his hand.
...
Two hours passed before Doflamingo, feeling his body replenished and his stomach full, concluded his meal. He casually propped his feet onto the table, grabbing a talking glass of red wine. As he leisurely watched Linlin continue gorging herself, he had to admit—
Even with her current appearance, there was a strange charm to the way she indulged.
Another hour passed.
'Damn, she's still eating? No wonder she turned into a full-fledged behemoth twenty years later!'
Even someone as composed as Doflamingo was beginning to lose patience. He finally decided to interrupt.
"Lady Charlotte Linlin, would you like to hear a tale about the Sky People and the North Blue?"
"Ma ma ma ma! Mama loves fairy tales!"
"Once upon a time, in a kingdom called Jaya, there was an explorer named Mont Blanc Noland... He was executed after failing to find the City of Gold a second time, but in truth, the Golden City had been carried to the sky by an upward current."
Big Mom swallowed a mouthful of cake, her eyes lighting up. "So the City of Gold is in your hands now?"
Doflamingo's brow twitched. He had no intention of leading the conversation in that direction, so he swiftly steered it elsewhere.
"Perhaps it once existed, but after 400 years, any treasure it held was likely taken by lucky pirates. But that's not the point."
"Then what is?"
"Do you remember the recording from last time? The Golden City that rose into the sky? The surviving animals from Jaya and those left in Mock Town—despite being of the same species—underwent stark differences in size and strength. It was as if an unknown force had driven their evolution."
"Just like the gap between us and ordinary humans."
To reinforce his point, Doflamingo gestured at the three of them—himself, Katakuri, and Big Mom.
Of course, he excluded characters with mixed blood. They weren't purely human, so their size wasn't relevant to his argument.
"Yet, strangely enough, this evolution seemingly abandoned the original inhabitants of the Golden City. The Shandians have remained the same for 400 years.
A sorrowful barrier now separates humans and animals... Just as there is a chasm between us and ordinary people."
For the first time, the cake in Big Mom's hand seemed to lose its appeal. Her gaze flickered.
Despite her many children, some bearing the blood of other races, not a single one had surpassed her in size.
She prided herself on her ability to bear powerful offspring.
But how could they ever hope to match her stature?
To sit at the same table and feast as equals?
...
"However."
Doflamingo pushed his voice to its most resonant, not to influence Big Mom directly—he wasn't that reckless—but to make his words all the more compelling.
"However, what?"
"My genius scientist, Caesar Clown, is determined to crack this mystery. Soon, all will have the chance to undergo glorious evolution.
But we require just a small favor."
"Speak, Doflamingo. What do you need?"
"The first phase of this research requires a hundred billion Belly in funding... and a sample of your blood. The samples I've collected so far aren't nearly enough to unlock this secret."
"My blood?" Linlin, lacking scientific knowledge, was puzzled.
Katakuri, on the other hand—who had nearly mastered the ability to see the future—felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding. He wanted to object, but when it came to their mother's dream, even he dared not interfere.
His gaze toward Doflamingo grew increasingly dangerous.
"Precisely. You are the tallest known human. Your blood is essential."
Essential?
In her many years of existence, Charlotte Linlin had rarely shed blood—except in a few significant battles.
She had never imagined her blood held such importance.
With a hearty laugh, she gave her answer.
"Ma ma ma ma! Very well. And what of the rest of the investment?"
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg